Nats vs. Yankees: My beige heart bleeds with neutrality

The New York Yankees are visiting the Washington Nationals this weekend. I am a fan of both, traditionally permissible because of the distinctly separate leagues in baseball that never played each other. Now, with interleague play configured as it is two teams can count on playing each other at least every 3 years.

You know how people say they are “born ____ fans.” I mean it literally — my mother worked for the Yankees, so they were my team. Her dad was also born and raised on 161st Street in the Bronx which is of course, the street that both version of Yankee Stadium share. He watched it get built and could hear the crowd from his home when Babe Ruth hit a home run. I wore a Yankees cap and jacket throughout high school (which isn’t necessarily a way to impress girls). They remain my AL team.

I used to say the only things that BeltwayLand lacked were skyscrapers, a grand suspension bridge and a baseball team. We finally got the latter and I immediately adopted the Nats as my NL team. It was a no-brainer. I am not counting other the other two, but as recently as 2004, I would have said they were more likely than a DC baseball team.

In short, I’m still making the Selig-ian pass on who I am rooting for this weekend. My beige heart bleeds with neutrality. Am I going to wear a Nats cap and Yanks shirt (or vice versa)? That’s a clown question, bro.

When I was 9 years old, we visited our former neighbors in their new Michigan home for Thanksgiving. According to Bruce Campbell, we didn’t celebrate the right way.

Later that weekend, we piled into the back of a Chevy station wagon (diesel even) and drove through Detroit to Windsor, Ont. just to say we went to Canada, I guess. We had McDonald’s and since it was warm, the back window was rolled down. J.J. shot spitballs onto the Canadian street. Then we got stuck in traffic crossing the Ambassador Bridge and I half-ate a Snickers.